By Ross Hunter

All great leaders have ambition and a clear vision. Many have a colossal ego and lead with a directive style. That can work, of course. But the best leaders, in my view, bring a different set of skills – empowerment, vulnerability, coaching and empathy. Anthony Rafferty from Origo is one such leader and proves that you can be both ambitious and empathetic.

“When you’re a leader, I’ll think you’ll be good at it.”

What’s notable here is the word ‘when’. Even in his early 20s, Anthony was seen as future leadership material by his university tutor – even if he didn’t recognise it himself at the time.

So, what is it about Anthony Rafferty that has made him a successful business leader?

Anthony claims it’s not his academic prowess: he collected mostly Cs in his school exams. But when Anthony returned to education in his mid-20s, he came out with a first-class honours degree in Business Studies. So, how did that turnaround happen? Anthony said, “I just completely fell in love with the subject matter”.

I think that’s a great lesson for all of us – as leaders of people in business or indeed our children. Following our passion is a huge predictor of success.

A man of style

There are of course different ways to be a successful leader. Different styles and approach work. But the best one is that which is authentic to you. It may sound trite, but humans are smart and can smell fakery a mile off.

Anthony has the superpowers of self-awareness and self-improvement. These have helped him become the type of leader he is today.

Early in his career, Anthony went on a week-long leadership course on the Isle of Skye. One outcome of the retreat was for the leaders to uncover their personal values and their purpose in life. Anthony discovered that his true purpose in life was ‘making people feel better about themselves’.

Not, perhaps, the most obvious opening chapter in a management book. But when you think about it, this purpose is perfect for becoming a natural leader who seeks to empower a team. But it’s more than just empowerment and delegating tasks through an organisation. Anthony’s will to make people feel better about themselves shines through when the going gets tough. He is a collaborative leader who approaches a problem from the perspective of ‘how can we fix this together’. Of course, Anthony can be assertive when it’s needed and make hard decisions. But his default position is far more supportive.

Learning from toxicity

There’s no doubt that a previous experience on the receiving end of a confrontational leadership style hardened Anthony’s approach.

Anthony’s boss at a large bank was a very different kind of leader. Armed with a world-class pack of management information on every key metric, every stage of a customer journey was tracked with a traffic light system. The problem was: no greens were celebrated; and all ambers and red were met with a ‘I want a report on my desk this time tomorrow showing how you’re going to make it green’.

This aggressive style created a toxic environment. Anthony even found himself making decisions with his team based on fear, just to deliver the ‘green’. Bullying was rife.

Although it was a dreadful environment, Anthony learned a lot from it. Although this approach might work in the short term, it ruins people’s lives and destroys a team’s culture. So Anthony is passionate about his collaborative style.

The ability to change your mind is also a trait of an empathetic leader.

Anthony admits he was distrusting of remote working – not because of a lack of trust in individuals, but because of the loss of those office interactions that add value. Of course, this old-fashioned view was tested in March 2020 when the Covid pandemic hit. The fact is Origo has enjoyed a record year for revenues, while staff morale remains high. Now, Anthony has the office designers in and they’re considering how to reshape the office environment to accommodate a more flexible working model in the post-Covid world.

Anthony’s humility is critical for a great leader. Admitting a mistake shows our people that they can make mistakes too without it being terminal for their careers. And it shows a humanity that makes Anthony come across as approachable and empathetic.

Ahead of his time

Another interesting aspect of Anthony’s leadership style has roots in mindfulness. He was introduced to the practice in the mid 2000s, when it was better known as meditation. Not only does Anthony practise mindfulness, but he says he’s become a mindful person.

“It took five years, and I found myself getting distracted at the start. But I’ve become good at focusing on one thing at a time and giving it my full attention. And when the natural distraction pops into my mind, I’ve become great at noticing it, acknowledging it and returning my attention to the task at hand.”

It’s a small thing. But in our noisy world full of distractions, busy people that can stay present and give their undivided attention are becoming rare. We all know how annoying it is when we’re on a one-on-one video call with someone and they stop to take a call or answer a message.

An ambitious legacy

Anthony is ambitious and wants to leave a meaningful legacy.

He says unashamedly that this is his last working role, even though he’s only just turned 50. Anthony is ‘all in’ with Origo and has clear vision of a fintech company that connects the financial services marketplace for the benefit of everyone. He sees a highly fragmented financial sector – with separate systems, inconsistent data and software that doesn’t connect. Origo has a fantastic opportunity – and purpose – to mesh the industry together. And that’s the legacy Anthony will undoubtedly leave.

Anthony’s personal legacy focuses on his three teenage daughters, Holly, Millie and Charlie. Acutely aware of the privileged position they now find themselves, it’s important to Anthony and his wife Fiona that the girls harness that position to the best they can in their lives and make a difference.

 

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